DEEP Indonesia 2012

The prestigious DEEP Indonesia International Underwater Photo Competition is part of a unique series hosted by DivePhotoGuide & Wetpixel, in association with DEEP Indonesia, Indonesia’s first and premier diving, adventure travel and extreme sports expo. Photographers competed in seven themed categories to win over $40,000 in prizes, including underwater photo equipment and premium dive travel packages to some of the top photo destinations in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Congratulations to Dale Sanders who won Best of Show for his 1st place image from the Reefscape category. This is the second time Dale has taken home the Best of Show award in the DEEP Indonesia contest, after winning it in 2008 as well.

As with previous years, this years contest included a category for images that focus on conservation and the marine environment, which is particularly during this time when the oceans are in crisis. The growing global community of scuba divers and photographers have become the eyes and ears of the ocean, helping to educate and inspire the rest of the world. Winners can be seen online, and will be published by our media partners worldwide and exhibited during the DEEP Indonesia Expo in Jakarta, Indonesia (March 29 - April 1, 2012).As with all UnderwaterCompetition.com events, 15% of entry proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts.

Underwater images of all kinds, taken by point 'n shoot, non-SLR digital cameras. In this category, no entries from scanned slides or digital SLRs will be accepted. Although there exist many great underwater images taken by point 'n shoot cameras, it is often difficult for them to compete with SLRs when it comes to image quality. In this category, digital manipulation is allowed, but as we are not running a digital manipulation contest, you should exercise care in the decisions that you make. Please note that any camera with interchangeable lenses is not considered a compact, and should not be submitted into this category

Divers

Best image featuring a scuba diver underwater.

Animal Portrait

Any underwater image featuring a portrait of an animal.

Animal Behavior

Any underwater image featuring animal behavior.

Reefscapes

Any underwater image featuring a wide angle view of a reef.

Environment and Conservation

Topside and underwater images of all kinds, taken by any camera, with a focus on the marine or lake environment and conservation. Subject matter must address a marine or lake-related environmental issue. The goal in this category is to convey a real-world message.

Indonesia Residents

Open to Indonesian residents only

Competition Judges

PHOTO JUDGES

Diego GarciaDiego A. Garcia is editor of Scuba Diver AustralAsia Magazine and is contributing editor of Asian Diver Magazine. Diego’s writings and images have been published in Asia, the UK, Canada and the US, and his work on various television series has taken him from California, USA, to Mozambique, Africa. Diego is also currently completing masters-level research on whales, and was the first to record underwater video of humpbacks in the Philippines

Eric ChengEric Cheng is an underwater photographer who has become known around the world for his expertise in underwater imaging. He has meticulously documented his travels around the world, and has been published in numerous publications, both in print and on the web. In 2003, Eric was awarded a prestigious Antibes Festival award for his work with Wetpixel.com, the Antibes underwater imaging web site of the year, and in 2005, he won a category in the prestigious Nature's Best Magazine photo competition, which has placed some of his work in the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum. Eric also leads trips and has given workshops and seminars in locations around the world.

Jason Bradley specializes in nature and underwater photography and is happiest photographing and telling stories of aquatic habitats and ecosystems. He works in rough and remote locations, in warm or cold environments, and in fresh or ocean water habitats. His portfolio consists of photos of people, wildlife, science, conservation issues, adventure sports, and products and still life's in a myriad of styles and looks. His images have been published in a host of books magazines and other outlets.

Jason also lead workshops and field seminars for nature photographers on photo techniques, photo retouching, digital asset management, digital printing, and specialize in Adobe software. He is on the Education Committee for the Center for Photographic Arts (CPA). CPA is a non-profit organization housed in Carmel California's Sunset Cultural Center where Ansel Adams started the Friends of Photography camera club. You can see more Jason's work at Bradleyphotographic.com

Matt Weiss

Matt Weiss is the owner, publisher and editor-in-chief of DivePhotoGuide.com, a leading underwater photography media publication with over 50,000 worldwide monthly readers. Matt has been working full time at DPG since 2009, and for years was the world’s only full time underwater photography editor. Matt also helped found the New York Underwater Photographic Society, where he currently serves as the co-president.

Matt spends over a third of the year in the field shooting assignments and running workshops for numerous print and digital publications. In 2011, Matt co-founded Scuba Diver Through The Lens, the world’s first international underwater photography print magazine that will be published quarterly beginning in 2012 and distributed in New York, Munich and Singapore.